Real Madrid overcame the sweltering Charlotte heat and an early red card to defeat Pachuca 3-1 on Sunday, earning their first win of the FIFA Club World Cup group stage and handing new manager Xabi Alonso his debut victory at the helm.
Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler struck late in the first half to put the Spanish giants ahead, despite losing defender Raúl Asencio in just the seventh minute for dragging down Salomón Rondón outside the penalty area, a foul that referee Ramon Abatti Abel deemed to have denied a clear scoring chance.
Down a man but undeterred, Madrid weathered early pressure before flipping the game on its head in the final stretch of the first half.
In the 35th minute, Gonzalo García’s deft flick opened space down the left flank for Fran García, whose square pass found a late-arriving Bellingham.
The England midfielder calmly slotted a low shot past Pachuca goalkeeper Carlos Moreno from just inside the box.
Madrid’s second goal came in the 43rd minute. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s elegant first-touch cross eventually found Gonzalo García, who set up Güler inside the area. The Turkish youngster applied the finishing touch to make it 2-0.
Federico Valverde added a third in the 70th minute with a sliding volley, sealing a hard-earned win and reigniting Madrid’s campaign following a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in their opening Group H fixture.
Though Elias Montiel’s deflected effort in the 80th minute earned Pachuca a consolation goal, it wasn’t enough to keep the Mexican side alive in the tournament. They were officially eliminated after suffering back-to-back losses.
Statistically, Pachuca outshot Madrid 25-8 and held an 11-3 advantage in shots on target. However, as was the case in their 2-1 defeat to Salzburg on Wednesday, it was their opponents who capitalized on chances with greater precision.
Real Madrid now sit at four points (1-0-1) and can secure a spot in the last 16 with at least a draw against RB Salzburg on Thursday in Philadelphia. Al Hilal are set to face Salzburg later Sunday in Washington.
Goalkeeper Thibault Courtois proved crucial for Madrid, registering 10 saves and keeping his side ahead through a flurry of second-half attacks, including a strong Bryan González strike and a long-range attempt from John Kennedy.
The match was contested on a temporary grass pitch laid atop the artificial turf of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers’ home stadium.
With game-time temperatures in the low 90s Fahrenheit (above 30°C), players were granted water breaks midway through each half to combat the intense conditions.
